A carnivorous fish that uses its luminescent spots to hunt in the wild, they would attract shrimp and other zooplankton at night. They are difficult fish to feed in captivity and may only take live food.

This fish has robust scales with black margins, each centre of each scale is raised much like that on a pineapple fruit. It has a single large spine in pelvic fin which can be locked erect. On either side of the lower jaw is a light organ that produces a greenish glow. The colour of the light is reported to change to red as the fish ages. Similar to the Japanese Pineapplefish, Monocentrus japonicus, they are differentiated by this Pineapplefish's more rounded snout.